Aftermath
by Werewolf10
Summary: Sequel to Where to Turn. Troy's life is changed dirasticly after Jack goes to jail. What new problemes will he face? COMPLETE. Third in trilogy.
1. Changes

**I was going to post this after the move, but I'm so freakin' bored right now! Plus I just couldn't wait any longer to put it up. But again, don't expect another update for about a week.**

**Chapter 1. Changes**

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"Are you sure your ready to go back to school, Troy?" Gabriella asked as they walked down the street.

It had been almost a year since the 'incident' with Troy's dad. Since then his life had done a complete one-eighty. His mom was under extra stress due to Jack's absence.

So much infact, that she had to work double shifts at the clothing store where she worked and Troy had to take a part time job to help out.

"I'm sure! No one probably even remembers it." Troy said as they approached the school.

"Just remember that I'm right here if you need me." Gabriella said taking Troy's hand.

As they walked into the school, everyone in the hallways stopped what they were doing and looked at Troy and Gabriella.

But when Troy gave them a long stare, they immediately went back to their lives.

"I've still got it." Troy said smiling. Gabriella just shook her head and smiled as well.

Since Troy still had a slight limp, it took a little longer than usual to get to Mrs. Darbus's class. Troy insisted that Gabriella go ahead and not risk being late, but she refused and kept her word to being there for him.

"Ah, Mr. Bolton and Mrs. Montez. Good to see you back. Your both five minuets late. But since Mr. Bolton here had a little trouble, I'll let it slide." Mrs. Darbus said winking.

"Smooth move, man!" Chad whispered.

Troy just shrugged and sat down. He hoped he wouldn't get this kind of attention from everyone.

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Troy couldn't have been any wronger. All day, everyone of his teachers had been going easy on him and excusing him for mistakes on quizzes and tests.

"Hey, Troy! Ready for practice?" Chad asked as him and Troy walked to the gym.

"Yep! I hope I'm not to out of practice." Troy said.

'At least Chad won't give me special treatment.' Troy thought to himself. He thought to soon.

"Troy, we've been talking. And since you're the team captain and we understand the stress you've been going through, we just want to let you know that anytime you want us to go a little easier on you just let us know." Chad said once they were all in the gym.

"Yeah. And we'd totally understand if you wanted to sit out a couple of practices." Zeke added.

"Guys, thanks for that. But I really think I can do it." Troy said grabbing a basketball.

"Ok. But just remember that!" Chad shouted after him as Troy ran down the court.

Now Troy really hated his dad.

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"Have a good day, Troy?" Gabriella asked when she found him on the roof in their hideout.

"Well, if you mean 'good day' by everyone treating me like I'm royalty ,including my teammates. Then yes, I had a blast." Troy said sarcastically.

"Just look at it this way, it was either this or being in a hospital right now where they treat you like you can't do anything by yourself." Gabriella said smiling.

Troy just laughed and took her hand in his.

"Thanks for not treating me different." Troy said before leaning down into a passionate kiss.

There was at least one thing that hadn't changed in his life.

**Hope you like it so far. Because hopefully it's going to be even better than my last story.**


	2. Always There For Me

**Chapter 2. Always There For Me**

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"Mind if I join you?" Gabriella asked as she walked up to Troy who was behind the grocery store where he was working. He had taken up the job of unloading boxes to help out his mom with the expenses.

"Not at all. I'm just about done for today." Troy said loading a few boxes onto the cart.

"That's good cause I was hoping to walk you home." Gabriella said sitting down on a crate.

"So, how's the Scholastic Team coming along?" Troy asked unloading a few more boxes.

"Great. We're almost ready for our next tournament. How's basketball this season?"

"Ok. It's not the same with a new coach. He called me Chad, and Chad Zeke!" Troy said in mock anger. Gabriella just laughed.

"So what did he call Zeke?" Gabriella asked still laughing.

Troy closed his eyes trying to hold back the laughter. "He got the name charts mixed up. He called Zeke Sharpay."

At that both Gabriella and Troy laughed so hard their sides started to hurt.

"At least we all have a new nickname for him now!" Troy said wiping his eyes.

"Bolton, you can leave now!" the manager shouted from inside the store.

"Thanks, Mr. Williams!" Troy shouted back before taking Gabriella's hand.

Instead of walking in the direction of Troy's house, Troy lead Gabriella to a small park not to far from the school.

"Why did we come here?" Gabriella asked once they arrived at the park.

"Just thought it would be a nice change from my house. Plus, my mom has to work late." Troy said sitting down on a bench.

The park was small, but peaceful. There was a small pond in the middle with ducks swimming in it and running around it.

"Your right. It is a nice change. But I wish you'd just come on out with the real reason we came here." Gabriella said smiling.

Troy just shook his head. He ought to have learned by now that nothing gets past Gabriella.

"I just don't know what to anymore. In just a few days my life did a complete turn around and there's nothing I can do about it!"Troy half shouted.

He then put his head on her shoulder as she put her arms around him.

"I know things look bad at the moment. But just hang in there. Everything's gonna be ok. You'll see." Gabriella said softly as she rubbed his shoulder.

"That's what I keep telling myself. I know it's true, but sometimes it's just so hard to believe it." Troy said sadly.

Gabriella could hear his voice breaking up and knew he was on the verge of tears. She looked around and was pleased to find that no one was in seeing distance of them. She knew that the last thing Troy wanted was for someone at school to find out that Troy Bolton, the best basketball player at school, cries. Gabriella leaned down and softly kissed just above his forehead as tears started to roll down his cheeks. She put her head on his and together they sat there watching the sun fall behind the tree line and being grateful for one another's

company.

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After about half an hour Troy sat up and took Gabriella's hand. He smiled gratefully at her as she reached up and wiped away the remaining tears. Troy then leaned over and gave her a soft kiss on the lips. She took that as a thank you. They then got up and walked silently home, hand in hand.

When they got to Troy's porch, Troy pulled Gabriella into a long hug.

"Thanks." he whispered into her ear.

"Don't mention it. Just remember that anytime you want to talk, even if it's in the middle of the night, don't hesitate to call. Ok?" Gabriella said pulling away.

"Ok." Troy said smiling before going inside.

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That night around midnight, Gabriella was awoken by her cell phone ringing. At first she wondered who would call her so late. But when she saw the number she remembered what she had told Troy earlier that day.

"Hello, Troy." Gabriella answered smiling.

"He's back."


	3. Same Coin, Different Sides

**Chapter 3. Same Coin, Different Sides**

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Gabriella jerked out of her sleep panting. She had been having dreams like that ever since Troy's dad had gone to jail. She looked over at her clock and was pleased to find that she would have to get up in a few hours. Gabriella got up and slowly made her way across her moonlit room to her balcony.

The half moon seemed to smile at her from it's place just behind the tree-line. Never in her life would she have ever believed that she would sing in a musical with the cutest basketball player in school who just happened to be her boyfriend. Infact, she never would have believed that she would go out with him in the first place! Troy was different from all the other jocks she had ever met. One fact alone separated him from the rest. He cared. He cared more for her than he did his reputation. And it was that care, that deep love for him, that did her in. That worry for his well-being was what haunted her in the middle of the night. But it was also that same love that kept her going. "He needs you now more than ever. He needs you just like you needed him when you sang together." she would always tell herself.

Just then she was pulled from her thoughts by some movement in the backyard. At first she was afraid, but then she recognized the figure. Gabriella smiled and waved to Troy. He saw her and waved back before running the rest of the way to the lattice board he used as a ladder.

"You couldn't sleep either?" Troy asked when he got onto the balcony.

"Nope." Gabriella replied taking Troy's hand as they walked over to the bench.

"Well that's to bad. Because you look very pretty when you're sleeping." Troy said running his fingures through Gabriella's hair.

Gabriella smiled and shook her head. She then reached up and pulled him into a soft kiss. When they broke apart Troy put his hand on the back of Gabriella's neck and leaned his forehead against hers.

"How did you know I needed that?" Troy asked.

"Sixth sense." Gabriella answered before leaning into another much needed kiss.

**I know, short. But I promise to make up for it in the next chapter.**


	4. Live a Little

**Chapter 4. Live a Little**

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"Troy, dude, you don't look so good." Chad said as Troy walked sleepily into home room.

"Yeah. I didn't sleep well last night." Troy yawned as he sat down.

"I think it's more than that. You look kinda stressed." Taylor said looking hard at Troy's worn out face.

"That's it. Tonight you're coming with us to the mall." Gabriella said crossing her arms. "You have to relax before you work yourself to death."

"But I have to be at work early! I promised Mr. Rice I'd help him get ready for the half off sale tomorrow!" Troy said frantically.

"Come on, man! Your boss'll understand. Besides, you haven't missed work once. And I'm kinda worried you're losing your touch at basketball." Chad said knowing that last statement would get him to come.

"Yeah right! I'm as good now as I ever was! Ok, this afternoon at practice." Troy said standing up face to face with Chad.

**VERY short. But that's only because my dad is still hurting. I'll try to post a longer one in a few days.**


	5. Troy's Day Out

**Chapter 5. Troy's Day Out **

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After school Troy, Gabriella, Chad, and Taylor met outside the school to walk to the mall.

"What do you want to do first, Troy?"Gabriella asked. "It's your afternoon."

Troy and Chad smiled at each other.

"FOOD COURT!" they yelled in unison before running in the direction of the food court.

By the time Gabriella and Taylor caught up with them they had already gotten ice cream cones and sodas.

"You better share some of that." Taylor said crossing her arms and tapping her foot.

"Fine." Chad said rolling his eyes in mock anger before giving Taylor his half eaten cone.

"Ou wan schome hoo?" Troy offered with a full mouth and ice cream all around his mouth.

"No thanks." Gabriella said laughing.

Troy just shrugged and took another big lick. Gabriella smiled and handed him a napkin.

"Ok, now what are we doing?" Chad asked.

"OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! JC Penny is having a huge sale on skirts! " Gabriella shouted before she and Taylor ran full charge at the store.

Troy and Chad walked slowly after them in an attempt to delay their torture.

When they reached the store the only thing they could hear was the'reeeeeeee...reeeeeeee...reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee...reeeeee...reeeeeeee' of the clothes hangers on the dress racks.

When they finally found Gabriella and Taylor they already had a good sized pile of clothes they were trying on.

"Just wanted to let you know that me and Chad are going to go look for new basketball shoes." Troy said as Gabriella pulled out a shirt and held it up to her.

"Sure. Catch up with you later."Gabriella said still occupied with the dress before running to the dressing room.

"Quick, lets get out of here before we get sucked in too." Chad said nervously before running out of the store with Troy close behind.

They ran until they came to their favorite sports store.

"Sanctuary!" Troy said when they came to it.

They went strait to the basketball section and started looking through the shoes.

"Uh, Chad." Troy said tapping Chad's shoulder.

"What?"

"Look."

When Chad looked at what Troy was pointing at, he went speechless. On the wall was a genuine Chicago Bulls jacket autographed by Michael Jordan himself.

"Dude. Jacket. Awesome jacket." Chad studdered out.

"That's the most awesome jacket I've ever seen! I want that jacket!" Troy said hysterically.

"Hey, Guys! What's up?" Gabriella asked as she and Taylor walked up with several bags.

"Look at that jacket! I want it!" Troy said dragging Gabriella over to it.

Gabriella walked over and looked under it.

"Are you out of your mind! You could by a car for what that costs!" Gabriella said after seeing the price.

"What? What did I do?" Troy asked as Gabriella stomped out of the store and over to a bookstore with Taylor still close behind.

"Don't worry dude. I know what to do in these kind of situations. Just do what my cousin does." Chad said walking out of the store.

"But isn't your cousin four?"

"Yep."Chad said smiling.

Chad walked into the bookstore and went strait up to Taylor.

"Uh, Taylor?" Chad said shyly.

"What?" Taylor said as she flipped through a book.

"Uh...um...if I could...uh I would like to have...um...if I could have... for the jacket. Um...yeah...jacket. I...I would like to have the jacket." Chad said in a little kid tone.

"What's wrong with you?" Taylor asked confused.

"I uh..." Chad started before he put his head in his hands and started to fake cry.

By now the people in the store were starting to leave and Troy was holding back laughter with everything in him.

"I said I want the jacket!" Chad said still fake crying.

"What on earth are you doing?" Taylor asked still not getting the whole thing.

Chad then stomped his foot on the floor and shouted in a little kid voice, "I want the jacket!"

Taylor's eyeballs got as big as a fish bowl.

"No. Do not do this to me!" Taylor said pointing her finger at Chad. "I'm leaving the store!"

Taylor stomped out of the store with Chad stomping right behind her saying, "I want the jacket! You give me the jacket!"

Gabriella stared suspiciously at Troy, who just shrugged and followed. They followed Taylor and Chad to the middle of the mall. Taylor was trying her hardest to ignore Chad who was still stomping and screaming like a kid.

Finally Taylor had enough. She turned to Chad with a look that could kill.

"STOP THIS NOW!" she yelled pointing her finger at him.

Chad went down like he'd been shot and started squirming around on the floor, kicking his legs in the air, pounding his fists on the floor, and screaming at the top of his lungs about the jacket.

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About an hour later the four walked out of the mall. Chad with a black eye and Troy with his new Chicago Bulls autographed jacket.

"Thanks, man." Troy said putting his arm around Chad's shoulders.

"Anything to make your day better." Chad said smiling. Taylor just sighed and continued walking. "But I think it's going to take a little work to get her to talk to me again.

Later on that night Troy went to bed with a smile. Thankful that he had such good friends.

**There you are! The next chapter will be mostly about Chad trying to say sorry to Taylor. Hope your rolling on the floor in laughter!**


	6. Love Me Back

**Chapter 6. Love Me Back**

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Troy walked into school the next day with a spring in his step. And everyone noticed it to. The old Troy Bolton was back.

He walked up to his locker to find Chad waiting for him.

"Good. You're here. Now I can put my plan into motion." Chad said looking around nervously.

"What? What are you planing to do? And why are you so jumpy?"

"I'm looking for Taylor. She's been on the war path ever since last night. But today. Today I'm going to change all that." Chad said smiling before walking to class.

"What exactly are you planing to do?" Troy asked nervously. After the stunt Chad pulled the previous night, Troy didn't know what to expect.

"Ok, I did some thinking last night and I came up with this,..." Chad started as they walked into home room.

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A few hours later Chad and Troy stood on the upper level of the cafeteria.

"Dude. Trust me. There are a million other ways you can do this. Send her flowers, write her a poem, take her to a nice restaurant! But please, on everything that is holy, don't do this!" Troy begged as Chad looked over the edge waiting for Taylor to enter.

"Quiet half-breed!" Chad said holding his hand up.

Just then Taylor walked into the cafeteria with Gabriella. When Chad saw her he walked down the stairs and stepped in front of her.

"Uh, hi. Everyone, may I have your attention please?" Chad shouted.

The cafeteria went silent.

"I would just like to publicly announce something. Taylor, I messed up. I shouldn't have done what I did yesterday. I'm really sorry and I hope you'll forgive me." Chad said meaningfully.

"Chad, you publicly humiliated me, betrayed my trust, not to mention got me banned from the mall for a month! And you think I'll forgive you just like that? I don't think so!" Taylor shouted and stomped off past Chad.

"I hoped it wouldn't come to this." Chad whispered before dropping to his knees.

He took a deep breath and started singing in a voice that would cause the dead to jump up and cover their ears.

"_I love you this much!_

_And I'm waiting on you,_

_to make up your mind!_

_Do you love me to?"_

Taylor stopped in her tracks and slowly turned around.

_However long it takes,_

_I'm never giving up!_

_No matter what,_

_I love you this much!"_

Taylor walked slowly over to Chad as he stood up. When she approached him she dropped her lunch tray and wrapped her arms around his neck, giving him a long meaningful kiss.

**I would put more, but we have family over and my cousin loves to run me to death. She's five. The song is "I Love You This Much" by Jimmy Wayne.**


	7. AN

**Sorry I haven't been able to update lately. Things have been really hectic around here so as soon as thing easy down a bit I'll get back on the story!**


	8. Return of the Pain

**Finally! The next chapter! Sorry about the long wait. We've had so many things going on at once that I haven't had any time to write the next chapter. But no fear! I'm back to save you from your boredom!**

**Chapter 8. Return of the Pain**

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Later that day Troy sat in the park with Gabriella looking out over the pond while Chad and Taylor were making out on a near by picnic table.

"You have no clue how thankful I am to have friends like you." Troy said smiling.

"All we want is to see you happy." Gabriella smiled back.

"Well, trust me. I'm plenty happy right now." Troy said as he put an arm around Gabriella. "I just wish I could say the same thing for my mom."

"Why is that?" Gabriella asked. Though she was pretty sure she knew the answer.

"Ever since dad went to prison she just hasn't been herself." Troy said as he got up and started to walk around. "If she's not working her butt off, she's crying in her room and smashing all the pictures we have of him."

"Sound like you have it rough, trying to be the strong one in this situation." Gabriella said also getting up.

"You have no clue. I just wish I could march right down to that prison and give him a piece of my mind!" Troy shouted as he walked by the picnic table where Chad and Taylor were still making out.

"Dude, do you mind?" Chad said breaking the kiss.

"Oh, sorry about that. You're doing a great job!" Troy said as Chad went back to kissing Taylor.

"Don't worry, Troy. Things are going to get better soon. You'll see." Gabriella said taking Troy's hand.

Just then Troy's cell phone started ringing.

"Hello? What! Why? Ok. I'll see you later." was what Gabriella heard Troy say into the phone.

"I've got to go." Troy said before grabbing his jacket and running off.


	9. Kindergarten

**Sorry about the short chapter. I'll try and make this one as long as I can.**

**Chapter 9.Kindergarten**

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That night Gabriella found it hard to sleep. She kept thinking about how Troy had left in such a hurry.

'Maybe his dad got out of jail.' 'What if something happened to his mom?'

These thoughts flooded her mind to the point where she finally sat up in bed, turned on her light, and dialed

Troy's cell phone number. After several rings she got the voice mail.

"Hi, it's me. And if you don't know who me is, you shouldn't be calling." Gabriella heard on the other end.

"It's me. Just wanted to be sure everything is alright. Call me when you get this." Gabriella said before

hanging up.

For another hour she waited for an answer. But none came. Finally sleep overcame her and she dosed off until morning.

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"Hey Chad! Have you seen Troy?" Gabriella asked Chad the next day at school.

"No, I haven't. He's usually here by now." Chad said with a confused look on his face.

"I just hope he's ok. I tried calling him last night, but I didn't get an answer."

"Yeah, me too. I even tried calling his house phone. No answer there either." Chad said as they walked into home room.

"I'll stop by his house this afternoon and check on him." Gabriella said as Mrs. Darbus walked in.

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That afternoon Gabriella walked down the sidewalk to Troy's house.

"I sure hope he's ok." Gabriella said to herself.

As she neared the house her heart started racing. In front of the house was a police car.

Gabriella ran to the front door and knocked. After a few seconds Mrs. Bolton came to the front door.

"Gabriella. Hello. Come on in." Mrs. Darbus said as she lead Gabriella into the house.

As they entered the living room Gabriella saw two police men sitting on the couch.

"Gabriella, this is Officer Johnson and Officer Conrad. This is Gabriella, Troy's girlfriend."

"Hello. What's going on? Where's Troy?" Gabriella asked nervously.

"That's the thing. Gabriella, why don't you sit down." Mrs. Bolton said nodding over to a chair.

Gabriella sat down and waited nervously for what was to come.

"Gabriella," Officer Conrad started. "Last night Troy ran away."

This hit Gabriella like a ton of bricks.

"But, why?" Gabriella asked confused.

"We have a few ideas." Officer Johnson said taking out a notepad. "Yesterday afternoon Troy received word that he had been fired from his former boss, Mr. Rice, that he had been fired because he failed to show up to work."

"So that's what the phone call was all about." Gabriella said.

"Yes. And from what I understand, he has been through a lot of heavy stuff in the past year. This job helped with the expenses. He had probably been contemplating this for a while. Losing his job more than likely pushed him to the edge." Officer Johnson explained.

"We also found this letter. We were hopping that it, along with you, could help us find out where he is." Officer Conrad said before handing Gabriella a folded piece of paper.

When Gabriella unfolded it this is what she read:

_Dear Mom and Gabriella,_

_I'm the biggest screw up known to mankind. I could never match up to what either of you deserve_. _And now I've just made it worse_. _I hope you could find it in your hearts to forgive me for all I've done. Running away was the last thing I wanted to do. But I know I'd just be a bigger screw up if I'd have stayed. I love you and wish the best for you both. Gabriella, if you ever need me, meet me at kindergarten._

_Your son and boyfriend, _

_Troy_

_p.s. Tell Chad that he can have my autographed jacket. He deserves it more than me._

Gabriella looked up in shock. She couldn't believe he would feel that way.

"Do you know what he means by 'kindergarten'?" Officer Conrad asked.

"Kindergarten has always been a little inside thing with us when we sing. But I have no clue what he means by it now." Gabriella said setting the note on the coffee table.

"Well, if you have any ideas, give us a call." Officer Johnson said giving her a phone number.

"Thanks. I will." Gabriella said getting up.

She said goodbye to Mrs. Bolton and started home.

When she got home she collapsed on her bed. She was glad her mom was at work, she didn't feel like talking to anyone now.

Then it hit her.

She got up and started running around her room. She dumped out all the contents of her backpack on her bed, then she ran over to her dresser and grabbed a few handfuls of clothes and stuffed them in.

She ran over to her tv and lifted it up. Out from under it she pulled out a handful of money and shoved that into her backpack as well. Then she got out a piece of paper and jotted down a note to her mom.

It said:

_Dear Mom,_

_I'm sorry I took of like I did, but I know where Troy is. For all the details, talk to his mom. I have enough money for a round trip bus ticket and I should be back in a couple of days. _

_Love you more than you know_,

_Gabriella_

Gabriella flew down the stairs and placed the note on the kitchen counter then she ran full blast out the door.

She finally knew what kindergarten meant.


	10. You Can Go Home Again

**All of you had good ideas about where Troy is. I guess the bus ticket gave it all away. Now is the time to see if your right!**

**Chapter 10. You Can Go Home Again**

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Gabriella awoke the next morning to the beautiful view of mountains rolling past the bus windows. She sighed as she thought of what she would say to Troy once she found him.

"Lake Tahoe coming up! Final stop is Lake Tahoe ski lodge!" the driver said on the intercom.

Gabriella gathered up all her things and got ready to exit the bus. In a few minuets the bus came to a stop and she, along with several others, got out in front of the ski lodge.

When she had gotten her bag and had a look around she started off for the main town. She knew that Troy couldn't stay only at the ski lodge. It took her a good half an hour walk to get there. But when she did, she didn't regret it.

The place was beautiful! There was a line of stores and shops on one side of the street, and on the other side was the gorgeous blue lake. Gabriella smiled at the view, but her smile quickly faded away as she remembered

Troy. Gabriella walked along the shore line a little ways knowing that's where Troy would more than likely be.

She was right.

About a mile down the beach she came to some large, smooth rocks on the water's edge. On one of the larger rocks was the sad figure of Troy, or what was left of him.

He was wet, mud covered, and without shoes. He was hugging his knees to his chest and shivering as he stared at the lake.

"Troy!" Gabriella yelled as she ran to him.

"Gabriella?" Troy coughed weakly lifting his head.

Gabriella ran up to him and wrapped her arms around him despite his poor state.

"Troy, I'm so glad I found you! I thought I'd lost you forever!" Gabriella said as she continued to hug him.

"I'm glad you found me too." Troy said as he pulled Gabriella off him. "But I don't think you really want to hug me with the condition I'm in right now."

"Your right. Hang on. I have some extra money. I'll get you some new clothes." Gabriella said as she started off for the shops she had seen earlier.

"Hurry up! I don't know how much longer I can wear these clothes before they disintegrate!" Troy yelled after her.

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Twenty minuets later Gabriella returned with a new pair of jeans, a t-shirt, sneakers, and a burger which Troy was especially thankful for.

After he had changed and ate they sat back down on the rocks.

"We better hurry." Gabriella said. "The bus for home leaves in an hour. I already got you a ticket."

"I'm not going home." Troy said skipping a small rock across the surface of the water.

"What?"

"You heard me. I'm not going home. I don't want to cause anymore pain than I already have."

"But, Troy, you can always get a new job. And your mom doesn't blame you a bit." Gabriella said sitting down beside him.

"It's not just the job." Troy said getting up.

"Then what?" Gabriella asked confused.

"My mom didn't tell you." Troy sighed.

"Tell me what?"

Troy took a deep breath.

"When I got home the afternoon I lost my job, we got a call from the state prison."

Gabriella knew dead well that Troy's dad was there.

"My dad died two days ago after an inmate stabbed him with a piece of glass."

"Oh, Troy!" Gabriella said as she ran over to him.

"Why did that have to happen! Especially to him!" Troy said angrily as the tears started to come.

"Troy, you know it wasn't your fault." Gabriella said as she continued to hold him.

"I just wish this whole situation would have never happened." Troy said sitting back down on the rocks.

"Well, it did. And it's over know. There was nothing either of us could do." Gabriella said as tears came to her eyes as well.

"But I'll never get to see him again! We're lucky that the prison agreed to pay for the funeral." Troy said clinging to Gabriella.

"I know just how your feeling right now. My dad died of a stroke when I was ten." Gabriella said softly.

"He did? I never really heard you or your mom talk about him." Troy said looking up.

"We don't. It's not a pleasant memory." Gabriella sighed. "It took us a while to get back on our feet too."

"Wow. I guess we have more in common now than ever." Troy said slightly smiling.

"And we'll have even more in common if you decide to be strong and get through this. Besides, don't you think that's what you dad would want?" Gabriella smiled.

"You're right. Come on, we don't want to miss that bus!" Troy said getting up.


	11. A New Life

**Last chapter! Hope you all enjoyed this story and will cherish it for years to come.**

**Chapter 11. A New Life**

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"Happy Birthday, Troy!" everyone shouted as Troy blew out the 18 candles on his cake.

It had been half a year since Troy had come back with Gabriella, and things were really looking up. Troy got an even better job helping coach the town's little league baseball team, but that wasn't needed for long. A few week later Troy's mom got a raise and they were able to go back to almost normal. Now it was Troy's birthday and in a few months he, Gabriella, Chad, and Taylor would be going to Yale.

"Thanks for the cake, Zeke!" Troy said as they all sat down with a piece.

"Well it wasn't all me, Sharpay helped a lot." Zeke said putting an arm around his girlfriend.

At this Chad dropped his cake, put his hands over his throat, and started to act like he was suffocating.

"Oh, stop." Taylor said playfully slapping him on the back of the head.

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"Present time!" Troy shouted after everyone had finished their cake.

"Here you go. This one's from me." Troy's mom said as she handed him a flat present.

Troy ripped open the wrapping paper and opened the box to find two shirts, a pair of jeans and a pack of socks.

"You're going to need new clothes for Yale." Troy's mom said as she picked up the wrapping paper and threw it away.

"Gee thanks, mom. This is so special." Troy said unamused but sarcastic.

Mrs. Bolton laughed and handed him his next present.

"That one's from me." Chad said sitting down beside him.

"I could tell." Troy said holding what ever it was wrapped in three Sunday's worth of sports sections.

Troy tore open the newspaper to find the autographed jacket Chad "got" for him.

"You deserve it more than I do." Chad said smiling.

"Thanks, man." Troy said before giving Chad a big hug.

By the time Troy was done he had gotten a monogrammed director's chair that had a basketball and a microphone from Sharpay and Ryan, a digital hologram clock from Taylor, and new basketball shoes from Zeke.

"Thanks, guys. All this stuff is great." Troy said after he was done.

"Your not done just yet." Mrs. Bolton said with a big smile. "There's one more gift from Gabriella.

"I knew it." Troy said as Gabriella came over and sat down beside him.

"Close your eyes and hold out your hands." she said smiling.

Troy did as she said. After a little while he heard his mom come back into the room and stop in front of him.

"Happy Birthday, Troy." Gabriella said.

Right as she said that Troy's mom placed something warm and a little bit heavy in his lap. After she did Troy felt what ever it was start to lick his chin.

Troy opened his eyes and sitting in his lap looking up with big, happy eyes was a Golden Retriever puppy.

"Thanks, Gabriella!" Troy said smiling as big as he could.

He leaned over and gave her a soft kiss which she gladly accepted. Troy then sat down on the floor and sat down the puppy who then started to run all over the living room sniffing and playing with everyone.

"Now, Troy. You know you'll have to house train him." Mrs. Bolton warned.

"I will." Troy replied as his new puppy ran over and jumped up on him.

"So what are you going to name him?" Ryan asked.

"I don't know. What do you think he looks like?" Troy said holding the puppy up to his face who in return started licking his nose.

At that everyone started to call out names they though would be perfect.

"Hold on guys! I know exactly what I'm going to name him!" Troy shouted above everyone.

Troy held the puppy up to his face.

"Welcome to the family, Jack."

**THE END**


End file.
